Safety and effectiveness of ataluren in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: single-center experience from Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE: gene. This study examined the efficacy and safety of ataluren, the first oral treatment for DMD with nonsense mutations (nmDMD), in patients in the Middle East. METHODS: This retrospective longitudinal study assessed the outcomes of seven boys with nmDMD who received treatment with ataluren and follow-up at a single center since 2016. RESULTS: The median patient age at treatment initiation was 8.04 years (range: 3.3-9.92), and the median duration of exposure was 3.95 years (interquartile range = 4.42 years). Five patients were still ambulatory at the last follow-up. Ataluren was more effective in individuals with baseline 6-min walking distance (6MWD) ≥300 m, as these patients had smaller declines in 6MWD and North Star Ambulatory Assessment scores. Pulmonary function was well preserved in all patients, with no patients having forced vital capacity <60% at their last follow-up. Six patients maintained normal cardiac function, whereas one patient developed heart failure before starting ataluren treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated both the efficacy and safety of ataluren. Early initiation of ataluren treatment delayed the loss of ambulation and cardiorespiratory milestones.